March 08, 2018

Highlights

USG announces more than $128 million in new humanitarian funding for the Lake Chad Basin

An estimated 110 girls remain missing after armed attack in northeastern Nigeria’s Yobe State

Armed attack in northeastern Nigeria’s Rann town results in aid worker deaths, suspension of relief operations

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

On March 6, U.S. Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson announced more than $128 million in new FY 2018 funding for the humanitarian response in the Lake Chad Basin region, comprising areas of Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. The figure includes more than $13 million in USAID/OFDA funding, more than $96 million in USAID/FFP funding, and nearly $19 million in State/PRM funding. The U.S. Government (USG) remains the largest donor to the humanitarian response in the Lake Chad Basin, having provided nearly $650 million in humanitarian assistance from FY 2017–FY 2018.

On February 25, the Government of Nigeria (GoN) announced that 110 students remained missing following a February 19 attack by suspected Boko Haram elements at the Government Girls Science and Technical College—an all-girls school in Dapchi town, Yobe State. Prior to the attack, security conditions in Yobe were relatively stable.

Suspected Boko Haram elements attacked a Nigerian Armed Forces (NAF) military camp in Rann town, Borno State, on March 1, resulting in the death of three aid workers, the disappearance of three aid workers, and one aid worker injury. Following the attack, the UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) suspended emergency response activities in Rann and relocated all staff to Borno’s capital city of Maiduguri due to safety and security concerns.

An elevated risk of Famine—IPC 5—levels of acute food insecurity continues for vulnerable populations sheltering in inaccessible areas of northeastern Nigeria, according to a March 2 alert issued by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET).

REGIONAL

As of March 2, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the GoN had biometrically registered nearly 17,700 Cameroonian asylum seekers in Nigeria’s Cross River State who had fled unrest and violence in the northwestern and southwestern Anglophone regions of Cameroon. The figure does not include individuals awaiting registration or sheltering with host communities. UNHCR continues to work with GoN authorities to register newly arrived Cameroonian asylum seekers, most of whom are women and children, and the UN agency plans to expand registration to two additional affected states—Benue and Taraba—in the coming months.

NIGERIA

On February 19, suspected Boko Haram elements attacked the Government Girls Science and Technical College in Dapchi and abducted an estimated 110 students, according to the GoN. Relief actors report that the location of the attack is concerning as the security situation in Yobe had remained relatively stable in recent months. USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) continues to coordinate with the GoN, donors, and other humanitarian actors to obtain additional information about the abductions. On March 2, the USG issued a statement decrying the attack and abduction of girls in Dapchi.

On March 1, suspected Boko Haram elements attacked a NAF military camp in Rann, resulting in the deaths of two International Organization for Migration (IOM) contractors and one UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) consultant, as well as several aid worker injuries. The two deceased IOM contractors had been working at a nearby displacement site in Rann that currently provides shelter for approximately 55,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). In addition, three aid workers remained missing as of March 8. All humanitarian personnel have been relocated from Rann and humanitarian deliveries have been temporarily suspended, the UN reports. Médecins Sans Frontières staff treated nine wounded patients prior to evacuating more than 20 international and national staff and suspending all medical activities in the town. The UN planned to conduct an assessment of infrastructure and security conditions in early March to determine capacity and suitability to resume operations.

In a March 2 statement, the UN Security Council (UNSC) condemned the recent attacks in Dapchi and Rann, and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all of the girls abducted in Dapchi. UNSC member states welcomed regional coordination with GoN authorities to respond to the recent attacks, bring the perpetrators to justice, and return the missing girls home. IOM and UNICEF representatives, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Edward Kallon, and UN Secretary-General (SYG) António Guterres also issued statements on March 2 condemning the attack on aid workers in Rann, and SYG Guterres called on parties to the conflict to protect civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law.

FEWS NET issued an alert on March 2 highlighting the deterioration of food security conditions in northeastern Nigeria. An elevated risk of Famine levels of acute food insecurity continues for vulnerable populations in inaccessible areas, although insufficient evidence is available to formally determine Famine conditions due to lack of access to these locations. According to FEWS NET, ongoing conflict could isolate large IDP populations in northeastern Nigeria from relief operations, further increasing the likelihood of severe levels of food insecurity—with Famine possible in a worst-case scenario.

USAID/OFDA recently contributed $8.5 million to an NGO partner to provide economic recovery, health, nutrition, protection, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) assistance in Borno. Additionally, USAID/OFDA recently contributed $2 million to the UN World Health Organization (WHO) to support health interventions in Borno.

USAID/FFP partner WFP reached 878,000 people with in-kind food distributions, 274,000 people with cash transfers for food, and 249,500 people with nutrition assistance in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states in January. To date in FY 2018, USAID/FFP has contributed $45 million to support WFP’s emergency response activities in northeastern Nigeria.

A USAID/FFP partner continued to deliver emergency food and nutrition assistance to people in need in Borno and Yobe in January. During the month, the partner reached nearly 19,700 households—approximately 128,300 individuals—with electronic food vouchers across seven local government areas (LGAs). In addition, the partner screened nearly 2,400 children for acute malnutrition in four of the LGAs, identifying more than 210 cases of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and more than 290 cases of moderate acute malnutrition. The partner referred children experiencing SAM to outpatient therapeutic programs for treatment.

From February 3–17, more than 13,900 people received health consultations through USAID/OFDA partner-supported health facilities and outreach programs in Borno’s Bama, Dikwa, and Ngala LGAs. During the same period, the partner also raised community awareness of protection issues among IDPs in the three LGAs. Approximately 12,200 people participated in education and community sensitization sessions covering topics such as early marriage and child sexual abuse. In Dikwa’s Sangaya IDP camp, the organization also met with camp officials and religious leaders to promote safe firewood collection practices, as women and girls often face threats of gender-based violence when traveling outside of the IDP site to collect firewood.

The USAID/OFDA partner also continued supporting emergency WASH activities across the three LGAs between February 3 and 17. In Ngala’s International School IDP camp, the partner distributed cleaning tools to camp leaders and held WASH facility operation and maintenance sessions with IDPs to support recently installed bathing and latrine facilities at the site. The organization also installed 100 blocks of latrines and 50 blocks of bath shelters in Bama's Banki IDP camp. In addition, the partner reached nearly 7,100 people through house-to-house hygiene promotion sessions, which covered topics such as handwashing, personal hygiene, and waste management.

CAMEROON

During a late February visit to Cameroon, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator (ASG/DERC) Ursula Mueller met with the Government of the Republic of Cameroon Minister of External Relations and the Governor of Far North Region, and traveled to Far North’s Zamai IDP site and Minawao refugee camp to evaluate increased humanitarian needs in the region. In a February 26 statement, ASG/DERC Mueller called on parties to the conflict to protect civilians and noted that the UN plans to increase assistance for IDPs and continue evaluating humanitarian needs in the region.

ASG/DERC Mueller also emphasized that while insecurity and lack of humanitarian access remain significant challenges, limited funding for the humanitarian response in Cameroon continues to be the primary impediment to assisting populations in need. As of February 28, international donors had contributed approximately $17.6 million, or nearly 6 percent of the $305 million required for the 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan for Cameroon.

USAID/FFP contributed more than $33.6 million in FY 2017 to address the emergency food needs of vulnerable populations in Far North and other regions, and recently announced $15 million in FY 2018 funding to WFP for emergency food assistance in Cameroon. From FY 2017–FY 2018, USAID/OFDA has contributed more than $7.7 million to NGO partners to support economic recovery, food, health, protection, and WASH interventions in Far North.

NIGER

According to a February FEWS NET report, insecurity and population displacement have disrupted livelihood activities in parts of Diffa Region, where Crisis—IPC 3—levels of acute food insecurity are expected to persist until at least September. Between June and July, vulnerable pastoralists in some areas of Niger could face Crisis levels of acute food insecurity in the absence of humanitarian assistance as the market value of livestock falls, undermining household purchasing power. Additionally, FEWS NET projects that poor households across agricultural and pastoral areas in the south of the country will likely experience Stressed—IPC 2—levels of food insecurity until September.

From FY 2017–FY 2018, USAID/OFDA has contributed nearly $8.7 million to NGO partners to support economic recovery, food, protection, shelter, and WASH interventions in Diffa. In addition, USAID/FFP has provided more than $36.6 million to address the emergency food needs of vulnerable populations in Diffa.

From January 29–February 19, a USAID/OFDA partner distributed four goats and livestock feeding kits to each of 200 households in Diffa as part of a USAID/OFDA-supported food security and livelihoods project. The partner is also conducting a mass vaccination campaign to inoculate livestock, including those provided through the program. As of late February, the partner had vaccinated all livestock provided through the program and completed 40 percent of vaccinations for additional livestock.

In addition, the USAID/OFDA partner began a cash-for-work program, distributing work materials—such as dust masks, gloves, picks, and shovels—to participants in 15 program sites in Diffa during mid-February. As part of the project, the partner also trained 100 people on soil conservation techniques.

In February, another USAID/OFDA NGO partner continued to provide multi-sector assistance to vulnerable populations in Diffa’s N’Guigmi Commune. From January 15–February 15, the NGO conducted community sensitization sessions—covering topics such as environmental hygiene, handwashing, hygiene best practices, and latrine management—for nearly 1,800 people across five villages. The partner also continued to strengthen income generation in N’Guigmi in February. On February 20, the NGO launched business skills and technical trainings—covering cash management, inventory management, and trading techniques—for 330 people previously identified to participate in income-generating activities.